Dean Holden was pleased to see his side end a two game losing streak with an away point at Peterborough United but felt with a bit more quality in front of goal, it could have been three points.
The Addicks drew 0-0 and after playing some positive football were unable to capitalise on Posh being reduced to 10 men in the 54th minute.
Speaking to CharltonTV, Holden said: “It's never as easy as people think it's going be when a team goes down to 10 men. I think most of the second half with 10 men, we didn't quite have enough in front of goal, our finishing was a little erratic.
“I thought at the start of the game we played with so much more purpose in that first half. That was exactly the game plan, to come and we knew that their fullbacks would go high against our wing backs. We knew that there were spaces down the side of the centre backs, we got down there countless times from Scott Fraser, from Payney [Jack Payne], from Jes [Rak-Sakyi] and Macauley [Bonne]. We got into so many good moments and good deliveries into the box and too many times recently we've been turning those moments down and coming back and around, so we wanted much more box entries, which we got.
“At the start of the second half we were really good. For 10 minutes we were on the front foot and then you get the red card and then it's difficult to break them down and it sort of fell into the habit of the last couple of games where we've had all the ball and it's going a little bit safe and around them. The spaces weren't there to go in behind them, like they were in the first half obviously because they sat off the game, as you'd expect.
"We did break them down on a number of occasions, we just didn't quite have that moment of quality. Then finishing was a little bit erratic, a little bit careless, snatching at things at times.”
Josh Knight was sent off in the 54th minute for what looked like a stamp on Rak-Sakyi. The home support felt the young winger should have been sent off for his retaliation, which received a booking.
Holden said: “The fourth official told me quite early it was going to be a red and a yellow for Jes. I have seen it but I've only seen that one angle from distance. You can't say anything other than what it was. It was a stamp out, bang out of order, on Jes. What he does afterwards, I think he [Jes] shoved him [Knight] to the ground. He told me never hit him. He said he shrugs him like ‘get off, get off’. Of course we want our players to play by the rules at all times but I think sometimes in the heat of the moment, you've been stamped on like that, it's very, very difficult. I was glad that the referee gave the red card, I think it was the right decision.”
Holden reserved praise for the travelling Charlton support, who cheered the team on throughout the game: “The supporters today were excellent. It was a great effort, thank you.”